Can't Hurt To Try
by Kyra5972
Summary: Sequel to Hope For Him After All. Dave's been in Sunnydale for a week when Larry takes him to the Bronze.


**Title:** Can't Hurt To Try

**Author:** Kyra

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them; if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

**Summary:** Sequel to Hope For Him After All. Dave's been in Sunnydale for a week when Larry takes him to the Bronze.

**Pairings:** None

**Spoilers:** BtVS – S3, sometime after Spike kidnaps Xander and Willow. Glee – S2, up through Karofsky's expulsion.

**Warnings:** None.

**A/N:** Veeeerrrryyyyy late Christmas prezzie for TouchoftheWind. Sorry it's so late. Muses didn't want to cooperate… :(

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><p>"I don't think this is what Dad had in mind when he sent me here," Dave said to his cousin with a snort as he looked around the club they had just stepped into. It was Friday night and the Bronze was packed. Looking around, Dave kind of wished Lima had something like this. Though, he did think it was kind of weird that Larry had brought him here after telling him for the past week not to go outside after dark, especially since, not only would they get home after dark, but they had left the house after dark.<p>

"Yeah, well, you've dealt with a lot of your shit over the last week and at least started working your way out of Narnia, or ya know, at least admitted you're in Narnia, so I think you deserve to party a little," Larry replied. "And Grandma agrees. Besides, what Uncle Paul doesn't know won't hurt you."

"Dude, what is it with you and Narnia?" Dave asked giving his cousin a weird look and Larry just shrugged.

"It's an easy reference," he replied before grinning at Dave. "Besides, Caspian is totally hot!"

Dave just snorted and shook his head at his cousin as they headed for the bar to get a drink. As they got closer, Larry veered off to a different section of the bar and Dave followed him with a curious look, wondering what was wrong with the open section of bar they had been approaching.

"Xander!" Larry exclaimed as he stepped up next to a dark-haired teen that was leaning against the bar.

The teen jumped slightly and whirled around, looking defensive until he saw Larry, then relaxed a bit. "Larry. Hey, man, what's up?" he asked, shooting a curious look in Dave's direction.

"Not much. Just showing my cousin the Bronze," Larry said as he motioned to Dave. "Dave, this is Xander Harris, a friend of mine. Xander, this is my cousin Dave. He's here from Ohio for a little while."

"Hey," Xander greeted with a nod.

"Hey," Dave replied.

A slightly awkward silence settled over the three of them for a moment before Larry suddenly spoke up again.

"Oh! Hey! Look! It's…someone. I'm just gonna go talk to them." And with that, he slipped into the crowd and disappeared, leaving Dave and Xander staring after him in shocked disbelief.

Dave blinked in surprise for a moment before slowly turning to look at Xander. "…I think my cousin just tried to set us up…" he said slowly, his disbelief evident in his voice.

Xander groaned and slapped his hand to his forehead before turning to look at Dave. "Shit, man. I'm sorry. I'm not…I mean, not that I have a problem with it, it's just that I'm not," Xander apologized, tripping over his words slightly as he tried to explain.

"Hey, man, it's fine," Dave cut in, waving it off. "Though, if you're not…why does Larry think you are?"

"There was this thing last year and I'd thought Larry was behind it and I'd kinda gone through something similar so when I confronted him about it, it was all very round-about and vague-like, and since it wasn't him, he thought I was coming out to him and it's just…never really been cleared up," Xander explained ramblingly.

Dave nodded in acceptance of Xander's explanation, then shrugged slightly. "Hey, it's fine. I've just barely accepted it myself, so I don't really think I'm ready for a boyfriend just yet," he said then glanced away from Xander a bit. "Besides, there's kind of this guy back home that I think I might kind of like…" Dave shrugged again as he trailed off.

Xander let out a short sigh of relief. "Oh. That's good," he said before realizing how it came out and trying to backtrack. "I mean-"

Dave just laughed and shook his head. "Relax, dude. I know what you meant." He looked in the direction his cousin had disappeared in before looking back at Xander. "Larry's going to be disappointed, though. I think he was really hoping we'd hit it off."

Xander glanced in the direction Larry had gone as well before looking back at Dave, a grin spreading across his face and mischief in his eyes as he shrugged. "So let him think we did," he said.

"What?" Dave asked, looking at Xander in confusion.

Xander grinned at Dave. "Let's mess with him a bit," he said, "let him think we hit it off. We can get a couple drinks, grab a table and talk for a bit before leaving and let him think what he wants."

Dave blinked at Xander incredulously for a moment. "Are you serious?"

Xander shrugged again. "Sure. Why not? It's better than the awkwardness that is the Scooby table right now," he stated. "Ya know, what with how I cheated on my girlfriend with my best friend and said girlfriend and best friend's boyfriend walked in on it…"

"Ouch," Dave said, wincing slightly in sympathy.

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "Sooo…mess with your cousin?"

Dave glanced after Larry one more time before shrugging and nodding. "Sure. Like you said, why not? As long as you're okay with it," Dave said.

Xander just nodded in reply and Dave grinned.

"So…can I buy you a drink?" Dave asked, tilting his head slightly toward the bar as he looked at Xander.

Xander grinned back at him. "Sure."

They both ordered drinks, Dave paying for both of them, before heading for a table that had just opened up in a corner of the room and sitting down.

After a few moments of sitting silently, Xander looked at Dave. "So…tell me about this guy," he said, looking at Dave curiously. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but…" He trailed off with a shrug and took a drink of his soda.

Dave was quiet for a moment before sighing and staring down into his drink as he started to talk. "His name is Kurt and he's…he's awesome," he said, the look on his face somewhere between wistful and pained. "He's not afraid to be himself at all. He's cute, funny, sarcastic, talented… And he'll never give me a chance in hell."

"Why not?" Xander asked, head tilted to the side curiously. "He like, completely straight or something?"

Dave shook his head. "No. He's actually the only out guy at school," he replied.

"Then why not?" Xander asked.

"Because I bullied him for years," Dave said, the slight wistfulness on his face disappearing, regret taking its place and joining the pain. "I shoved him into lockers, shoulder checked him, threw slushies in his face, threw him in a dumpster on a daily basis… And because I forced a kiss on him earlier this year and then didn't exactly react well to what I'd done. I bullied him worse than ever and even threatened him. That's actually why I'm here; I got expelled for the threat. Though, the expulsion's probably going to be overturned, but still. It doesn't change what I've done to him. No way he'd ever give me a chance now."

"I don't know," Xander said slowly. "I mean, I never thought I'd be friends with Larry, but here we are. Granted, he never did some of the stuff you said you've done. But I think if you apologized and showed him that you meant it, that you'd changed…" Xander shrugged. "Maybe he'd give you a chance. I mean, it'll take a while, and a lot of groveling on your part, but…maybe. It can't hurt to try. Just, ya know, don't push him. Apologize, grovel, but give him his space too. Just let him see that you're serious about it."

"You really think so?" Dave asked, looking hopeful and Xander simply shrugged once more and smiled.

"Like I said, it can't hurt to try."


End file.
